The business and commercial importance of communications is evidenced by the continuing efforts to provide new facilities and features for making communications easier and faster. Recent developments in the telecommunications industry have lead to communications via satellite, from automobiles and airplanes. Many customer features, such as speed dialing, call forwarding and camp-on are readily available as commonplace features to many telephone users.
There are many unavoidable situations in which it may not be possible to communicate via a telephone system with another party, at certain times. For example, the immediate and direct communication with another party who is either busy or absent must be delayed. This not only represents a loss of time for the calling party, but may also have economic ramifications to both parties, especially if the call concerns business matters.
It can be seen that a need exists for improved communication techniques and apparatus for assisting calling parties in completing their telephone calls. A particular need exists in connection with telephone switching systems for assistance in completing telephone calls to alternate caller-selected destinations if the original called party is busy or absent.